UPSC Mains Previous Year Questions 2019: GS1 Indian Society | Indian Society for UPSC CSE PDF Download

Q1: What makes the Indian society unique in sustaining its culture? Discuss.  (Indian Society) 
Ans: 

Accommodation and Assimilation in Indian Society:
The concept of accommodation and assimilation has been a fundamental aspect of Indian society throughout its history. Jawaharlal Nehru, in 'The Discovery of India,' aptly describes Indian Society and Culture as an ancient palimpsest, preserving layer upon layer of diverse elements without erasing their distinct identities.

Over time, India has cultivated its unique and eclectic culture, characterized by external receptivity and heterogeneity. The essence of Indian society lies in embracing diverse identities, ethnicities, languages, religions, and culinary preferences. The ability to hold differences has been a strength, setting India apart from societies that struggled and shattered in similar attempts.

Peculiarities of Indian Society:

• A Cosmic Vision: Indian culture places human beings at the center of the universe, celebrating individuality and differences of opinion in society.
• Sense of Harmony: Indian philosophy and culture aim for innate harmony and order in society.
• Tolerance: India exemplifies tolerance and liberalism for all religions, castes, and communities, respecting and accepting diverse groups such as Shaka, Huna, Scythians, Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians. Rulers like Ashoka and Akbar patronized various religions, ensuring peaceful co-existence.
• Continuity and Stability: The light of ancient Indian cultural life persists despite invasions, changing rulers, and evolving laws.
• Adaptability: Indian society demonstrates fluidity, adapting to changing times, places, and periods.
• Caste System and Hierarchy: Indian society has developed systems of social stratification, accommodating outsiders historically but also contributing to discrimination and prejudice.
• Unity in Diversity: Despite inherent differences, Indian society celebrates unity in diversity, reflecting in modern India's founding principles and constitutional ideals.

In recent times, India has faced challenges on divisive issues like communalism, casteism, economic disparity, and ethnic violence. However, India's societal genius lies in fostering coexistence, allowing diversity to flourish. The principle of 'Sarva Dharma Sambhava' (equal respect for all religions) is deeply rooted in India's tradition and culture.

Q2: "Empowering women is the key to control the population growth." Discuss. (Indian Society) 
Ans: 

India's Population Challenges and the Role of Women Empowerment
India is poised to become the most populous nation by 2027, surpassing China, as estimated by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The population has surged from 555.2 million in 1970 to 1,366.4 million in 2017.

Multiple factors contribute to India's population growth, including child marriage, the multi-marriage system, religious superstitions, illiteracy, and poverty. Significantly, these factors are closely linked to the disadvantaged condition of women in the country.

Empowering women can play a pivotal role in controlling population growth:

• Financial constraints often hinder women from accessing necessary family planning and health services. Granting women access to and control over productive resources enhances their voice, agency, and meaningful participation in decision-making, ranging from family planning to conception.
• Family planning failures are directly related to widespread illiteracy, contributing to early marriages, low status of women, and high child mortality rates. Education transforms girls, leading to increased work, earnings, expanded horizons, delayed marriages, and fewer children.
• High fertility rates stem from misinformation about contraceptive side-effects, lack of knowledge about small family benefits, and religious or male opposition to contraception.
• Women with multiple children often find limited roles beyond being mothers and wives. Limiting family size through family planning not only improves family welfare but also contributes to social prosperity and personal happiness.
• Sensitizing men and boys is crucial to fostering a transformation in women's empowerment. When men respect and accept women as equals, gender-based inequalities significantly diminish.

The unchecked population growth poses a significant problem, and concerted efforts from the government, NGOs, and society are needed to address it. Prioritizing the empowerment of women is essential in curbing population growth in India. As Nehru highlighted, awakening women can lead to the awakening of the entire nation and family.

Q3: What are the challenges to our cultural practices in the name of Secularism? (Indian Society) 
Ans: 

Changing Dynamics of Secularism and Challenges to Cultural Practices in India
Since Independence, India has embraced a unique form of secularism, treating all religions equally and supporting them. However, a paradigm shift is underway where Constitutional morality is emerging as a crucial aspect of secularism, as recognized by the judiciary. This shift has led to the growth of misguided perceptions about secularism, resulting in various challenges to the diverse cultural practices in the country.

The challenges can be logically classified into two dimensions:

Challenges posed by misguided perceptions:

• Religiousness labeled as anti-secular and pro-fundamentalist: This perception discourages various religious practices, branding those who follow rituals, specific clothing, or distinct thoughts as fundamentalists.
• Equating secularism with atheism and apostasy: Not believing in a higher power or abandoning religious beliefs is being increasingly equated with being secular, leading to a gradual erosion of cultural practices.
• Restrictions on food choices: Some states, influenced by majoritarian religious sentiments, impose restrictions on the sale of beef.
• Judiciopapism: Instances where the judiciary takes a narrow view of secularism and interferes with religious celebrations and practices, like the ban on Santhara by the Rajasthan High Court and the ban on Diwali cracker sales by the Supreme Court.

Challenges due to the rise of Constitutional morality:

• Right to Equality: The Supreme Court declared the practice of triple talaq and the ban on the entry of women in the Sabarimala temple as unlawful, citing gender inequality and exploitation.
• Animal Rights: The Supreme Court banned the traditional practice of Jallikattu due to concerns about cruelty to animals.
• Objection to Harmful Cultural Practices: Female genital mutilation (FGM) practices in the Dawoodi Bohra Community were highlighted in 2018, with the government and the Supreme Court considering a ban on this practice in India.

It is evident that while some challenges stem from misleading notions of secularism, others result from exploitative and discriminatory cultural practices. The solution lies in bringing together all stakeholders, including religious leaders, judges, rights activists, civil society groups, NGOs, and government representatives, on a common platform to discuss challenges and achieve unanimity in preserving the cultural practices of the country.

Q4: How is efficient and affordable urban mass transport key to the rapid economic development in India? (Indian Society)
Ans: Across nations and decades, economic development has consistently been associated with personal mobility. Despite India's remarkable growth, its mobility infrastructure has not kept pace with the rising demand. As India aims to become the second-largest economy by 2050, it must anticipate a rapid surge in the need for mobility.

Importance of efficient and affordable urban mass transport:

• Supports clusters and agglomerations: In large metropolitan areas, heavy usage of private vehicles can impede growth. Well-planned transportation can overcome this constraint, fostering agglomerations and bringing people closer together in higher density developments.
• Increases productivity: Improved transportation accessibility to jobs, services, and activities leads to increased productivity.
• Enhances job & labor force accessibility: Transportation improvements result in a larger pool of employees available for the job market.
• Opens new markets for businesses: Multi-modal facilities create new markets for companies seeking locations with suitable transportation infrastructure for their corporate needs.

Towards building an efficient and affordable urban mass transport:

• The government has introduced various policies to ensure an affordable, efficient, and accessible mobility system, such as the National Transit Oriented Development Policy (2017), Green Urban Transport Scheme (2016), and FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (hybrid &) Electric vehicles).
• Regulations should be implemented to encourage the efficient use of existing roads and smarter traffic management, such as restricting trucks and large commercial carriers from city roads during the day.
• Governments must ensure the establishment of an adequate ecosystem before adopting new technologies in mobility. For example, the adoption of electric vehicles should be preceded by a sufficient number of installed charging stations in cities.
• The Smart Cities Programme is making a positive start, with all 100 selected cities incorporating the promotion of non-motorised transport (NMT) as one of their goals in their respective Smart City Proposals.
• In the upcoming years, emerging market cities will play a significant role in the global economy. India needs to develop Safe, Adequate, and Holistic Infrastructure (SAHI) for its population, including women, the elderly, and the disabled.

Q5: Do we have cultural pockets of small India all over the nation? Elaborate with examples. (Indian Society)
Ans: India, with its rich diversity, offers a multitude of cultural experiences to both its citizens and visitors. As the oldest civilization, it has accumulated cultural practices from various influences, including tourism, education, exploitation, and ruling, shaping a unique tapestry of traditions.

The country's abundant resources historically attracted people and foreign rulers, a trend that continues today. Migration from smaller cities to urban centers and metropolitan areas, driven by opportunities in employment and education, results in the creation of cultural pockets.

Metropolitan areas such as the National Capital Region of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, coastal industrial hubs like Surat, Kochi, Visakhapatnam, or religious centers like Ajmer, Amarnath, and Chardhams serve as examples of hubs where diverse cultures converge within the larger Indian culture.

Metropolitan areas represent distinct cultures, as seen in the banter between Delhi and Mumbai. Additionally, they are internally diverse based on different times and locations. For instance, during Ganpati Utsav, a cultural pocket emerges within Mumbai for ten days, while in Delhi, a similar pocket forms around Independence Day celebrations.

Multi-storey housing societies in urban areas and multinational organizations exemplify cultural pockets. Residents of diverse backgrounds coexist, exchanging food habits, traditions, and indigenous culture, celebrating festivals together as one large community.

Higher educational institutes like universities and colleges echo the same scenario, bringing together students from all corners of the nation, transcending differences in hometowns, race, caste, and class. They study in the same classrooms, participate in extracurricular activities, and celebrate college festivals together.

India's countless cultural pockets across the nation, each with its own set of values and perspectives, contribute to enriching the Indian cultural heritage. This diversity reaffirms India's standing as one of the cultural superpowers of the world.

Q6: What are the continued challenges for Women in India against time and space? (Indian Society)
Ans: Nearly one-sixth of the world’s women reside in India, where some have held esteemed positions such as President, Prime Minister, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, and Leader of the Opposition. However, a significant number of women seldom venture outside their homes, facing challenges rooted in hegemonic patriarchy prevailing in Indian society.

Hegemonic patriarchy implies that the discrimination against women is so ingrained in common beliefs that both men and even women become supporters and perpetrators of the very notion that discriminates against them. This leads to various issues:

• Oppression against women begins early, even before birth, evident in female infanticide and a poor child sex ratio of 919/1000, according to the 2011 census.
• Girls often suffer from the vicious cycle of poverty and malnutrition, exacerbated by a lack of education and reproductive rights.
• Motherhood penalty persists as women bear the primary responsibility for family care and upbringing, leading to unpaid care work and many women leaving the workforce due to family pressures.
• Despite increasing education levels and declining fertility rates, the female labor force participation rate remains low at 23.7%.
• Commodification of women portrays them as docile homemakers or sex symbols, limiting their opportunities in various fields.
• Women are often confined to "pink-collar jobs," reinforcing stereotypes and denying them opportunities in other professions.
• Glass ceilings in the workplace create artificial barriers, contributing to wage gaps and hindering women's advancement to management-level positions.
• Sexual harassment at the workplace, highlighted by the #MeToo movement, reveals systemic issues with slow judicial processes hindering justice.
• Lack of political participation is evident in the low representation of women in the Indian Parliament (11.8%) and state assemblies (9%), despite constitutional mandates for women's reservation in panchayat seats.

Way Forward:

• Implementation, not just better laws, is essential to address women's issues in Indian society.
• Immediate implementation of reservations for women in parliament is crucial.
• Empowering women through self-help groups for financial independence is a government priority.
• Affirmative action should aim to increase women's representation in positions of authority.
• Societal disassociation from the stigma attached to women’s sexuality is vital for progress.
• Cultural revolution, as advocated by leaders like J.L. Nehru, is necessary to address women's issues as a social concern.
• Initiatives like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and influential movies can challenge hegemonic patriarchy. 

Q7: Are we losing our local identity for the global identity? Discuss. (Indian Society)
Ans: Indian society is characterized by a unique set of local cultural traits encompassing languages, culinary preferences, dressing styles, classical music, family structures, and cultural values. There is a growing concern among the Indian populace about the perceived erosion or dilution of their local identity, often attributed to the impact of globalization that fosters a global culture, blending local identities into a more homogeneous world culture.

This sense of unease is not unfounded and is evidenced by various factors:

• Shift from local languages to English: The increasing trend of English education and a service-based economy has led to the rapid decline of several vernacular languages.
• Transition from classical music to Pop and Jazz culture: Evolving musical preferences among Indian youth raise doubts about the sustainability of traditional classical music in India.
• Shift from collective identity to individualism: The rise of metropolitan Indian populations has fueled individualism, and social relationships are increasingly driven by commercial considerations.
• Move from joint family to nuclear family structure: Economic migration and a preference for personal space have disrupted the joint family structure in India, impacting the care of the elderly and children.
• Decline in moral education for advanced commercial education: The growing disconnect between morality and higher education poses a significant threat to our identity.
• Changing dynamics of marriage: Acceptance of live-in relationships challenges the sanctity of the institution of marriage, reflecting the influence of Western culture.
• Evolution of clothing styles: Corporate culture has relegated traditional Indian attire to occasional use, mostly in cultural events.
• Shift from traditional food choices: The proliferation of chain restaurants and hotels has steered the food preferences of Indian youth towards Italian and Chinese fast foods, often at the expense of healthier, nutrient-rich options.
• Erosion of cultural values: In the pursuit of freedom of speech, traditional values such as moral decency, respect for elders, and adherence to rituals are on the decline.
• Diminishing indigenous systems of medication like Ayurveda and Yoga.

Despite these concerns, an alternative perspective on globalization emphasizes the universalization of local beliefs and cultural values rather than outright demolition. This viewpoint finds support in various instances:

• Celebration of Indian festivals worldwide: Diwali, for instance, is acknowledged globally, with the United Nations issuing Diya stamps to mark the occasion. Even local festivals like Chhath Puja find observance in Silicon Valley, USA.
• International Yoga Day on 21st June: This initiative has popularized yoga globally.
• World Hindi Day on 10th January and the hosting of the World Hindi Conference.
• Global promotion of Bhakti Yoga by ISKCON foundation, contributing to religious tourism in India.
• Appreciation of Indian classical music worldwide, as evident at Berklee School of Music. NGOs like SPIC MACAY have actively promoted Indian classical music and culture among global youth.
• Inclusion of Taj Mahal among the seven wonders of the world.

Culture is a dynamic entity that evolves through diffusion and amalgamation. While it is crucial to embrace and preserve our cultural identity and values, the influence of globalization should be seen as an opportunity for positive enrichment rather than a cause for concern.